New clothes with a purpose

Who doesn't like getting new clothes? I love getting new clothes and it's even more exciting when the clothes are made with a great purpose behind them.
Recently I ordered two shirts from sevenly.org. Sevnely teams up with a different charity each week, helping raise funds and awareness for 7 full days. Each item bought gives $7 to the charity of the week. I happen to think this is great because buying new clothes or other things is great but knowing that $7 dollars from each purchase goes to a good cause makes it fantastic!
When I ordered my shirts the charity of the week was Operation Christmas Child, my all time favorite charity. This organization is a company that distributes shoes boxes full of gifts to people that wouldn't normally get a gift at Christmas. People fill a shoe box with hygiene items, school supplies, toys, and candy and they are given to less fortunate kids. Also most of the time they give out a book called The Greatest Gift which talks about Jesus and the salvation story. The money from the purchases on sevenly went toward the shipping costs of the boxes.
Here are pictures of the shirts I ordered:

Now I just have to wait for them to come in the mail :)
I would encourage you to check out sevenly.org soon!

Always bring the sunshine of Jesus :)

One of my favorite quotes is:

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. - Anthony J. D'Angelo

It's one of my favorites because it is such a great concept to keep in mind. It doesn't matter whether you are going to work, school, hanging out at home, or going to a friends place, it's so important as a Christian to bring the sunshine of Jesus wherever you go. There is always someone watching you even if there is no one around because Jesus is always watching.
I know that it is sometimes hard to bring the sunshine of Jesus with you in some situations but I promise you that is you do it, it will be well worth it. God will bless you for it even if you don't notice those blessings at the time.
 I don't know if that's what Anthony was implying when he wrote this but that's what I think about when I read it. So I challenge you tomorrow no matter what you are doing bring the sunshine of Jesus with you and just watch and see what He might do!

My top 10 Christian rock bands

Here is my top 10 Christian rock bands. You should check them out!

1.Big Daddy Weave

2.Newsboys

3.The Afters

4.Anthem Lights

5.Sanctus Real

6.Needtobreathe

7.Casting Crowns

8.David Crowder Band

9.Addison Road

10.Relient K

When I feel frustrated

We all feel frustrated once in a while. Sometimes we are frustrated about little things that can be easily fixed but other times we are frustrated about things that are a lot bigger and can't be fixed as easily.

What I do when I'm frustrated is first I stop and pray and ask God what to do in this situation. Okay, so maybe that's not always my first response but I am working on it and I hope that one day it will be! When you give your problems to God they don't seem like that big of a problem anymore because they aren't in your hands they are in God's.

After I pray another thing I try to do is quote Bible verses to myself to try and get a more God focused point of view. Some on my favorite verses to quote are Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 4:13, Romans 8:31, and Psalm 23.I will share them with you here:

Jeremiah 29:11
 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Philippians 4:13
 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
   he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
 Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

 

Once I get a more God focused mind and heart I do something that I enjoy that is calming, such as going for a walk, taking a shower, or drinking a cup of tea. Also talking to a family member or friend almost always helps!

 

I don't know what you are frustrated about these days but God does, give it to Him, that's the first step in the right direction!

Looking for a book to read? Here's my picks!

I love reading! I pretty much never go without having a book on hand. I have read many books in my life but there are certain books that are my favorites and I would recommend them to others. Here are some of those:

1.Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis
This book is a great one for anyone that is from age 10 to 99. It is a true story about a young lady that moves to Uganda and adopts 13 orphan girls. It is a touching and beautiful story of what God can do if you just let Him use you. A very inspiring story!

 

 

2. The Christy Miller Series by Robin Jones Gunn
I read these when I was in my early teens and I loved them. I would recommend this series to any girl in her teen years. These books cover every topic that a teen girl will face in a fun and enjoyable read. It covers some hard topics such as drug abuse, teen pregnancy, anorexia from a great Christian perspective.





3.Adam by Ted Dekker
This was the first Ted Dekker book that I ever read and it hooked me. I love Ted Dekker but this is one of my favorites because it is the first one I read. This book is a great thriller about a serial killer that will keep you on the edge of your seat till the end.

Some places you should check out in Saskatoon SK

I have lived in Saskatoon Saskatchewan for a month now. I haven't done a lot of exploring but there are some places I have found that I think you should check out in Saskatoon.

1. First Mennonite Church
This is a cute little church with a very at home feeling. They have a pretty good choir that I really enjoyed listening to and a great pastor who had a message that could challenge everyone. There is mostly Seniors at this church but to me that didn't matter. They don't make you feel uncomfortable just because you are young. They make you feel at home and welcome. I don't think this will be the church that I will regularly attend but I really enjoyed going there this one time. I would highly recommend trying out this church just once, no matter what age you are.

2.Cold Stone Creamery
This is a ice cream place that is connected to a Tim Hortons. I really enjoyed their ice cream, it was flavorful and delicious. I had their Coffee Lovers flavor of ice cream which was a great choice for me because I love coffee. Since they are connected to Tim Hortons, you can have a delicious ice cream and top it off with a nice cup of Tim's. So go treat yourself at Cold Stone Creamery to a nice treat.

3.Mystic Java
This is a really nice coffee shop that I loved going to. It is a really nice place to take your laptop and get some work done or to take a friend out for coffee. I loved the quiet and comfortable atmosphere, it was just right. I had a London Fog and a piece of Chocolate Mousse Cheese Cake. The London Fog is made with Earl Gray tea and it's creamy and delicious. The cheese cake was to die for and they give you a huge piece. A great size to share with a friend. The next time you need a quiet place to work or a fun place to go with a friend check out Mystic Java.

Something You Should Consider This Winter

I think that everyone should get winter tires and SLOW DOWN! That is if you live anywhere where the snow and ice effect your driving. Why I say this is because I don't have winter tires on my car and I got into a car accident this morning. I was driving to work and I was going around a icy curve which caused me to loose control of my vehicle. I did a total 360 and I hit another on coming vehicle in the side. The people in the other car and I are okay, thankfully! I believe that it is only because of God. My car didn't fair so well and the tow truck driver thinks it will be a right off. I also had to pay a ticket of  $175 for driving at a unsafe speed for the driving conditions. Even though I wasn't speeding I was still driving to fast for the conditions. Now that it's all over, the first thing that I think about is that God had his hand of protection on me and that it could have been much worse. The second thing that comes to mind is please be careful when driving in the winter. Slow down and get winter tires, it could save you from getting in a car accident!

Hello My Name Is.....

Hi my name is Jessica Thiessen! I was raised by the 2 best parents in the world and I would have to say they taught me well. I also have 3 siblings, 2 sisters and a brother. Who are all a huge blessing in their own way! I am 18 years old and I just graduated high school this past spring. I made a pretty big move (At least for me) from the family farm to the big city. This new apartment I am living in, with 2 lovely housemates, is starting to become a home. The city is a huge adjustment but God is helping me through it!